Observations in White
by CrazyChibiSama
Summary: Just a little story written with a friend about our first Left 4 Dead 2 experience... Obviously my first attempt at writing the characters. I hope to get better at that!
1. White

Observations in White

Disclaimer: I do not own Left 4 Dead 2!

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" Whoever said that no matter how worse everything gets, there's someone out there who has it worse than you? I'm going to shoot him." Nick complained as he sloshed through the waters of the sewer, silently repeating to himself that it was a STORM sewer and not the other kind. " Because I'm pretty sure whoever said that didn't have it this bad. Can't see for shit, got all torn up on my side because of that damned Witch, walking through a goddamned sewer in the most backwater place I can think of, stuck in the middle of the ZOMBIE apocalypse, and this shit will never come out of my suit!"

" No gray areas in there, huh?" Rochelle commented from somewhere to his right. The sewer was receiving no light, so vision was limited. The flashlights were barely any help, so the rag-tag group was relying completely on sound to locate each other at the moment. Ellis was behind Nick, judging by the soft breathing behind him, and Coach was off to his left, in the front. Picking up the pace, the conman fighting to keep both hands on the gun instead of grasping his injured side. The Witch had done a number on him, Ellis having apologized profusely for startling the deceptive looking female. He could swear that the Witch didn't look that strong.

" Well, there was one time me an' Keith were tryin' to go down to the monster truck show that was bein' held at the-" Ellis was cut off as Nick gave him a glare that pierced the darkness.

" Whoa, even I felt that one." Coach commented, cleaning off his flashlight. " How 'bout we all calm down 'till we reach the safe house, alright?" he was just as unhappy about going through the sewer, but he was more focused on getting all of them to safety than worrying about his clothing. He was also straining his ears to try and hear where the infected were coming from. He could have sworn that he heard a Charger, but Nick's relentless complaining about the sewer was drowning out some of the signs. " Nick. Be quiet so we can hear everything." Rochelle said firmly, the conman falling silent.

The silence was short lived as Coach was knocked off his feet into the crummy water, Nick yelping in pain as thick fingers closed around his waist, pinching his side and irritating his wound. The Charger dragged him past Ellis and Rochelle and slammed him into the murky water, his whole body slammed uncomfortably into the water, his suit and shirt becoming soaked as the Charger lifted him again, Nick's vision dancing with bright lights.

It got even brighter as Ellis peppered the Charger with gunfire, Rochelle quickly helping Coach to his feet before joining in taking the Charger down. Nick let out an incoherent yell as he was lifted once more from the water, the Charger slamming him down again before toppling over, breathing it's last. Nick groaned as stars decorated his vision, his mind desperately trying to swim through a sea of fog. He barely registered Ellis grabbing his hand and helping him to his feet, his gun getting shoved back in his hands.

" Ugh... I don't think I can take another hit like that... my side's KILLING me." Nick said groggily, shaking his head back and forth to wake himself back up.

Ellis patted his shoulder. " Hang in there... ain't too far to the next safe house." he said softly, Nick's hearing deftly picking out the false reassurance in the young mechanic's voice. They had no idea where the next safe house was, and one careless mistake could result in the whole team becoming lost or worse. Groaning, he clutched at his injured side, his fears deepening when his fingers touched his slightly warm and sticky side. " That is not a good sign!" his mind screamed at him, his instincts kicking into high gear.

Rochelle was the first to reach the ladder, scrambling up it with Coach fast on her heels. Ellis urged Nick towards the ladder and waited for the injured man to pull himself up before climbing up after him, his heart instantly plummeting at the sight that lay before him. Several cars lay around the area, and some of them were had flashing lights inside of them, their alarms having been activated.

Coach looked back at the situation at hand. Rochelle was the only one out of the group carrying a melee weapon, and less likely to cause an accident with the alarmed cars. His knee was starting to act up from the strain he had put it, and he doubted his aim with his hands shaking like they were. Ellis was nervous as well, the cars putting the mechanic on edge with the sheer number of them. Ellis was known for being a bit destructive, but for once, the younger man was still and silent. His eyes then glanced over at Nick, his worry deepening. The conman was trying to act like it was nothing, but his breathing was labored, one hand twitching nervously as if it wanted no place upon the weapon, but upon his side, to keep precious lifeblood from flowing out of his wound.

The decision fell upon Coach as to what to do. He felt like he was back in his football days, except one wrong decision meant losing a life instead of the game. " How are we on supplies?" he asked after licking his lips and clearing his throat. He didn't want the others to know how badly the sight of all the alarmed cars had shaken him. To touch even one... could spell disaster for the rag-tag group of survivors. Rochelle balanced the axe on her shoulder. " Few, Coach... That last Tank left us reeling... and I'm not so sure where we can find more around here."

Even the usually active and boisterous Ellis was silent, his eyes scanning the area. He noticed that while there were cars with alarms, they were few in between. " Guys... I reckon I got an idea..." he began, gesturing to the cars. " Only the flashin' ones are bad, right? Then we go around them... and when we gotta fight, we don't shoot. We gotta get to that bridge."

Rochelle smiled at Ellis. " That's right, sweetie. We're going to get to that bridge, and get rescued."

" We're going NOWHERE if we keep standing here, talking!" Nick hissed, his hand twitching even more now. " I'd LIKE to get GOING!"

Coach shifted his weight. " Ellis has got a good idea... let's take this nice and slow." He walked forward slowly, weaving around the first alarmed car. Nick followed, Rochelle right behind him. Ellis was the last to follow, tilting his cap slightly so he could see a bit farther. The noises of the stronger infected were all over the place, and his ears, finely tuned to listen to sounds of engines as he worked, were on full alert. He was tuning out the sounds of nature so he could focus completely on the unnatural sounds in the environment. He could hear a Hunter growling somewhere, and the sickening noises of the Boomer, the mechanic trying to pick out the locations by the noises.

It was a futile effort, but at least he managed to determine that the special infected were nearby, lying in wait. "You know what would be bad right about now? A Tank." he said quietly.

"Please don't jinx us." Nick said just as softly. " I don't think I'd live through that..."

A few commons rushed at the group, being dispatched with a few squeals and meaty thumps. Coach silently prayed to god that they would make it through the impound lot, and reach a place where they could rest, even if only for a little while. He prayed that god hadn't forsaken them, left them on their own in the middle of a town populated by the infected. His hopes lifted slightly when he saw the exit of the lot, his spirit lifting even more when he squeezed past the last car without incident, only to plummet as a Boomer came out from behind the car, vomiting on Rochelle, causing Ellis to shoot it and the last alarmed car.

Nick groaned, lifting his gun. His wound had attempted to close in the short time, but thanks to the Charger attack, it was opened slightly and stung like hell. Damned if he'd show it on his face though. Still, a feeling deep inside him told him that if he didn't deal with his wound in the near future, things would become bad to the point to where no amount of conning or clever language would save him. As the horde barreled down upon them, a Hunter leaped at Coach, knocking the man over onto a thankfully quiet car. Moving forward, he shoved the Hunter off of the man, shooting the deranged infected several times as Rochelle swung her axe into the nearest common infected, Ellis shoving one in the face.

Coach grabbed his weapon and got up off the car, rubbing his shoulder where the Hunter clawed it, slightly thankful that none of the fabric had been torn thanks to Nick's quick response. His shirt was already torn slightly thanks to previous Hunter attacks, but he had no desire to let anymore happen. He opened his mouth and quickly thanked Nick, the other man nodding silently before grabbing his gun again, joining the fray.

The rest of the the attack seemed to pass by quickly, Coach only dimly registering the battle around him. Blood everywhere, the screams of the infected falling prey to the rest of the team, the blood decorating the butt of his rifle from using it as a club, all seemed to pass by in slow motion. Thanks to the adrenaline rush, he seemed to react to things as soon as he saw them, the horde diminishing away to nearly nothing.

" I am so sorry, Coach..." he could hear Ellis saying, an attempt at apologizing, but he waved his hand dismissively. The Boomer was unexpected, and they were lucky to have fought only one horde without the rest of the alarms being set off. Better to just count themselves lucky for what happened, instead of dwelling on what could have been.

" Water off a duck's back, son." Coach said with a smile. " How are we doing here?"

Rochelle wiped her face off. " I don't think I'll ever be clean again. Just a few bumps and bruises here and there."

Ellis cocked his cap. " I'm good, but I don't think Nick's doin' all right..." he said, the concern for the older man clear in his voice. Coach turned to look at Nick, and instantly agreed with Ellis, Rochelle moving to try and help him.

Nick was leaning against one of the safe cars, one hand weakly holding his assault rifle. His free hand was tightly clutching his injured side, his eyes closed in pain. Part of his blue shirt was stained red, and his chest heaved as he took in air, his green eyes half-lidded. It was obvious to Coach that Nick needed help immediately, or else the bridge would be the least of their worries.

" Ro', you got any of those bandages with you?" he asked. " Nick ain't gonna make it if we don't take a look at that."

Nick lifted his head slightly and looked past the three. " We don't have time...TANK!" he pulled himself off the car and managed to run out of the impound lot, the rest of the group following behind him as the Tank punched the cars out of it's way while trying to reach them.

By the time they had managed to kill the Tank, they had reached the freeway, the whole group stopping in front of a damaged ambulance to catch a breather. " I don't believe this... no safe house in sight, a dead tank a few feet away, the military bombing the freeway... and the only way to continue is through a CEMETERY..." Rochelle covered her eyes. " This is not happening... this is not happening."

Ellis rubbed his leg, grimacing as he got up, the muscles protesting his movement. " I know..." he mumbled to himself. " I'm almost spent.." he said out loud. Coach was using his rifle to open the ambulance doors, ushering to the others. "Help me get him in here... we can rest for a short minute in here." he said, balancing Nick with one arm.

Nick had gotten even worse during the fight with the Tank, his wound opening up the rest of the way. Coach had been worried that the younger man had gone into shock, but thankfully, Nick had just been in too much pain to respond when he slumped over. Forcing the doors open, he got Ellis to help lift Nick into the ambulance and set him on the floor, gently examining the man's side. Nick was flaunting the line of consciousness, his eyes occasionally opening and closing.

Coach looked around the ambulance and pulled out a bottle of medicine. " Hey, you still awake?" he asked, gently shaking Nick's shoulder. Nick opened his eyes and narrowed them at Coach.

"Unfortunately."

Coach rolled his eyes. " Guess you're doin' okay. We're gonna cut through the graveyard, and find the safe house."

"Call me when you get there." Nick replied, closing his eyes. Coach gently opening the medicine bottle. " Very funny. Can you swallow these? It'll help with the pain." he said, motioning to Ellis to give him a bottle of water from their supplies.

Nick lifted his head. " Sure, I always wanted to add painkiller addiction to the things I've done to myself." he said bitterly. " Let's list what's happened to all of us in the course of only a few days. Got left behind, had to navigate a burned building, fight our way out through the flames with no idea of where to go, and head out towards the mall, all in day one!" he sputtered, his hand flying to his injured side again.

Rochelle sighed and covered her face. " Nick... you're not making this any easier on us. Just take the damn medicine and we'll get that wound looked at as soon as we can. Can't do it out here, it's too dangerous." her patience with the man was running thin at the moment, but she forced herself to keep from snapping at him, remembering how he had used his medical supplies on her burned leg after her mishap with a Spitter. It was healing nicely, and the bandage served as a reminder of Nick's display of kindness and trust.

She remembered when they first banded together to escape the hotel... he had been cold, sarcastic, and rude. Always finding faults with everyone, always picking on Ellis or belittling Coach's ideas, always getting on her nerves. But after spending some time with the group, he had begun to warm up to them, coming out of his protective shell to share knowledge, ideas, and even offer assistance that had no motive behind it, like self-preservation. When he had bandaged her leg, his eyes showed that he actually cared about the safety of the team, and wasn't just hanging with them to save his own hide. He had even taken the time to reassure Ellis that they were all going to make it after the accident.

Now, watching him laying there on the floor of that ambulance, she knew that he had retreated into that lonely shell of his, the snarks a defense mechanism against those who would attempt to probe inside him, to find the person he really was. Sighing, she watched as Coach gave him the medicine, Nick's face screwing up with disgust over having to take the pills.

" Ellis and I will scout ahead... see if we can find the shortest path through the cemetery. Can you watch him, make sure nothing happens?" She asked, sliding out of the ambulance, axe at her side.

Coach nodded. " All right. Stay safe, girl. You too, Ellis." He closed the ambulance doors and gave a thumbs up from the window, Rochelle turning to look at the cemetery. " I'm not letting Nick die here... come on, sweetie. We've got a safe house to find."

Ellis nodded, pulling out his grenade launcher with a look towards the ambulance. " Don't die, Nick. I still ain't apologized for what I did to ya... don't you dare die 'fore I get a chance to."

–


	2. Purple

Disclaimer: I do not own Left 4 Dead 2

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Coach watched them go, his mind offering up silent prayers for the injured man laying beside him and the two people he considered family out there, searching for better safety. Leaning back, he massaged his knee, grumbling as the old injury that took away his football career came back with a vengeance. It always liked to act up at inopportune times, and he couldn't think of any other time that was more inopportune than this. Nick was seriously injured, and could possibly die from his wound reopening. He had used a glove and applied pressure until the wound had stopped bleeding, and was currently using the few bandages Rochelle had as a temporary fix. A stopgap, really. The wound needed proper cleaning and bandaging, to keep infection from setting in.

He knew that the 'storm' sewer they passed through was definitely unsanitary, and if any of that horrid mess had gotten into Nick's wound, they might even have a serious infection on their hands. Reaching over, he gently turned Nick onto his uninjured side, letting the man continue to rest quietly. He had no words to say to the conman, he felt as if everything he could say would be just be a false reassurance. Nick's life literally depended on whether or not Ellis and Rochelle found safety, and if they could reach it quickly.

He remembered the day that they had no choice but to evacuate, how they met and climbed the thirty flights of stairs to the nearest evacuation center. Nick had teased him about his complaints on the trip, making a comment about a helicopter made of chocolate that had irked him. The bond that the four would soon share began on that roof, when they watched the helicopter fly away. A shaky truce, formed on that roof, deepened as they made their way down, their first test beginning with evading the flames. Coach smiled to himself when he remembered their reluctant faces, doubting the idea of climbing out onto a ledge to get around the flames, and how Ellis had eased himself out onto that ledge, followed by Nick.

Even at the beginning, Nick had a sort of me-first attitude, being the first out of the group to get on the only working elevator. He had waited for them to get on, but when the introductions began, he openly voiced that he wasn't staying long. When the elevator stopped however, and the whole group was forced to fight their way out through the burning floor to reach the outside, the conman had stuck to the group like glue, his instincts getting the better of his pride and attitude. Coach laughed softly at the memory of the gun store, his hand covering his mouth and trying to mask the chuckles so Nick could rest.

Nick had been so livid about the idea of retrieving Whitaker's cola that he threatened to kill the man with one of his own guns if he so much as tried to double cross them before leaving the store, in a fury. The trip to retrieve the beverage ended with the opening of the path to the mall, the group temporarily taking refuge on the lowest floor of the mall, only to rest and regain strength. Coach stopped reminiscing when he heard a wail, cocking his gun with a startled expression and creeping to the window, looking outside.

A female common was arguing with a wall out there, her wails failing to dent the inanimate object. Coach breathed a sigh and slumped against the wall of the ambulance, rubbing his forehead. The Witch in the mall... another memory. She had been wailing and wandering around on the second floor, Rochelle unfortunately mistaking it for a regular common infected in the heat of battle and shooting it. The result had brought about a unwanted confrontation between the Witch and the group, to which they fought with a determination unlike they had ever known. Coach himself had been surprised by how fast Rochelle had sprinted down the hallway, and how Ellis and Nick had thrown aside their differences in a heartbeat to protect her by shooting at the Witch, along with him. With the three of them working in unison, the Witch had gone down in no time, with minimal damage to the group.

If that had been a trick play, they would have scored a touchdown for sure.

After that incident, they met up with the Tank, another feat being pulled off. Coach knew little of the situation, since the Tank had been aiming for him, and he had been knocked unconscious by the mutated beast. Rochelle had told him later in the safe house that Nick had pulled him to safety while Ellis kept the beast busy, earning a few bruises to show off as he and Rochelle did everything in their power to keep it from charging after it's first target. Rochelle had also told him that once Coach was safely tucked inside the safe house, Nick had returned to the fight to lead the others back a safer spot he had found along the route and let a well-thrown Molotov cocktail finish the Tank. Rochelle had treated his injuries later, and relayed the story to him while the two heroes of the day slept. He had personally thanked Nick later, the well-dressed man shrugging and acting as if it was nothing. Ellis had talked enthusiastically about the event for an hour after that, the group eventually having to distract him to get him to talk about something else.

Coach had gained further respect for the other two men that day, and his respect continue to grow as they made their way through the mall. If they were a football team, he would have been proud to coach them all the way to the finish line. As it was, they relied on him to come up with ideas or the knowledge of where to go next. For all purposes, Nick and Rochelle were tourists, and it fell to him and Ellis to guide the way. He would have to concede the credit for their escape plan to Ellis though, the idea of refilling a car and using it to escape the mall hadn't even crossed his mind once. Though Ellis and Nick had bickered the entire time, they had made it out safely, heading for New Orleans. Looking at the bottle of medicine, Coach amused himself by reading the label while keeping a wary eye out for infected or his team.

Nick was treading the line of consciousness, occasionally drifting in and out of a resting state to a somewhat alert state. The medicine was working wonders on him, keeping the injured man from feeling too much pain, yet Coach knew that the dose would only last so long. He silently prayed that Rochelle and Ellis got back in time for them to move Nick while he was still under the effects of the numbing drug. He stopped and chuckled to himself. Praying. He had been doing a lot of that lately. Offering up silent prayers every time they walked into a new place, or had to do something that would draw the infected to them. Every time, he offered a quick word to god to get them through the challenge ahead.

" Dear god, find it in your heart to not take this man from us. We still need him here on this earth." Coach said softly, folding his hands in prayer. " We all need him, and he needs your protection now." He cast a glance at Nick, who had opened one green eye to look at him. He ignored the injured man's stare and continued. " You've done a fine job of protectin' us all, lord, but please, watch over us just a little bit longer."

Nick coughed, getting Coach's attention. " I knew you were a praying man, but I don't think I've heard that prayer before." he said with a smirk, a bit of the man they had come to know emerging from the shell.

Coach unfolded his hands and set them on his knees. " When prayin', you don't need to know what to say sometimes. He'll hear."

Nick coughed again, the wet sound making Coach nervous. " Where's Ro' and Overalls?"

Coach grabbed the bottle of water. " Searchin' the cemetery. I think there's a safe house on the other side of it, but we can't be spendin' all day in there." he offered it to Nick, setting it back down when he shook his head. " How's the wound?"

Nick lifted his hand slightly. " Sticky. It's trying to close, but as soon as I move, I'm sure it'll try to open again." He looked at his fingers. " Really screwed the pooch back there, didn't I?"

Coach shook his head. " You ain't screwed until you breath your last, and it sure as hell ain't gonna be in this place. You're the gambler... isn't it your job to play the odds in your favor?"

Nick fell silent for a moment before laughing softly, his chest vibrating with the sound. " Never thought I'd hear that line out of you... I was expecting something like that from Ro'." Coach stretched his leg out.

" Yeah, we're all full of surprises." he said after a moment. He didn't know what to talk about with Nick, the conversations usually started by Ellis or Rochelle. Without the two, he didn't quite know what to say, and " How's the weather?" was 100 percent not the greatest conversation starter. He tore his mind away from trying to say something as he heard the familiar shout of Ellis, who was loudly calling for Coach to allow them entrance into their temporary shelter. Throwing the door open, he eagerly greeted the two, Rochelle climbing in beside him, Ellis taking a place beside Nick.

" We found the shortest way..." Ellis panted, checking the ammunition on his grenade launcher. " There's a safe house on the other side of it. Reason me an' Ro' took so long is cause we did a little cleanin'."

Rochelle held out a medical kit. " And we took this from the safe house... we hurried back as fast as we could."

Coach took the medical kit. " Thanks, Ro'. We'd best get going while all the infected are busy arguin' with somethin' else." He helped Nick to his feet and motioned for everyone to go out the doors, a fast but not too rough pace being set. Nick was quiet the whole trip, saying only little snippets before falling silent. Coach figured it was as an attempt to save energy, hurrying through the cemetery. Thanks to Rochelle's and Ellis's infected cleanup, there were few infected to be seen, the group hurrying into the safe house.

Once inside, Coach gently slid Nick's arm from his shoulders and laid the man on the ground after Rochelle found a sleeping bag and laid it out. The conman was losing his battle with consciousness, his eyes drooping closed as Coach undid the buttons of his shirt, gently tugging on the fabric to see if any had gotten stuck in the wound. Thankfully, none had, the wound raw and red, but otherwise unmarred. Taking the bottle of water, he poured it over the wound and with a gloved hand, scraped away the collected blood to clean it of impurities.

Nick remained still, his eyes opening one last time to scan the area. It wasn't one of the bigger safehouses, and the act of laying him down on the ground had taken up a lot of room. There was still room for the others to rest though, the group laying around the room. Ellis was watching the door, too wired to do anything else, Rochelle setting down her axe and collapsing against the wall. Coach finished cleaning the wound and set about dressing it properly, the bigger man chuckling.

" All dressed up, and can't take you anywhere without you getting torn up, can we?" he said with a smile, Nick lifting his head to look at Coach.

" Oh, like you're one to talk? What about that scare Ellis gave us in the swamp, or your accident in the sugar mill?" Came the sarcastic retort.

Coach had to admit the man won a point with that one. " Just don't move so much or else we're gonna have to keep bandagin' it up again."

Nick placed his hand on his side. " Don't worry, I'm not moving an inch. I have not come this far to die now..." his sentence trailed off as the second dose of pain medicine and his exhaustion forced him to drift off, his slight snores being heard a moment later.

" None of us have." Rochelle said softly, pulling her legs to her chest.


	3. Yellow

Disclaimer: I do not own Left 4 Dead 2

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Observations in Yellow

Ellis sighed as he pulled away from the window, looking at the grenade launcher he held tightly. It had only six shots left, and he would have to make them count. He knew that he would have to get another weapon before attempting the bridge crossing, it was too risky and he hadn't found any ammunition for the weapon he currently owned.

Looking around the room, he peered outside the safehouse door one last time, judging the scenery before picking up a Chrome shotgun, grumbling softly. He knew that there were better weapons out there, but the weapons inside the safe house were all that he had access to at the moment. It had been half a day since they arrived at the safe house, and while there was still plenty of ammunition, ( He doubted there was anyone following them who could still use it) his patience was starting to run thin with the infected.

The special infected were all staying away from the safe house for some reason, but the common infected kept rushing it like it was the greatest thing ever. Sighing, he shoved the shotgun through the door and fired at another common infected rushing the door. Nick's wound had closed up now, and thanks to him resting and saving his energy, he was doing better. Switching positions with Coach, he knelt beside the sleeping man and pulled aside his jacket to look at the wound. The slash wound had covered over nicely, and while it did look unsightly, it was also necessary.

Smiling, he put the jacket back where it was and sat back. Rochelle had given him strict instructions to not bother Nick when the man was awake, which he took seriously. Contrary to beliefs that many ( now deceased) held about him, he was not a hyperactive person. A little energetic, friendly, and prone to distractions, yes, one to torment injured friends, no. Besides, when he had fallen into the swamp, they had done the same for him.

When they had reached the swamp so long ago, he had been pulled into the water by a Smoker, then a Hunter had landed upon him, knocking all the wind out of him. Under the foul water, he had blacked out, unaware of what was going on above. Rochelle was the first to see the poor boy go under, Coach springing into action

Dropping his shotgun, he jumped into the water, pulling the Smoker's tongue from Ellis's limp body and hauling the young man up onto the ground away from the horde. Thanks to the near drowning incident, he had swallowed a lot of water in his blind panic, and when he was pulled from the water, most of it made an appearance.

Rochelle had given him emergency CPR, and it helped to bring the rest of the water up from his stomach, Coach lifting him and carrying him to a safer place while Nick provided cover for the whole group. They had spent a grand total of two and a half days in a safe place, and he had only slept for a day and rested for half of it. Upon waking, he discovered Nick, keeping watch over him and the safe house door. The conman hadn't slept since Ellis had gotten pulled under, and it was showing on his face. His features seemed to be more defined than normal, as if pure adrenaline was all that was fueling the man at the moment.

In all honesty, Ellis was surprised that Nick had done such a thing. It went against Nick's very nature, the nature that the conman had always openly displayed to them. The me-first attitude, the strange tidbits of info concerning his suit, the odd knowledge of weaponry, all led the rest of the group to suspect that the world he lived in was a solo card game. But in the carnival, as well on the roof of the hotel, not to mention the swamp, they had seen glimpses through that shell. Once the near-drowning ordeal was over, and Nick was apparently convinced that Ellis was going to be fine, he slumped against the wall and could not be awoken for the rest of the day.

* * *

" Hey guys, did I ever tell you about the time Keith and I went down to the store to go get some beer and Keith accidentally fell into the icebox when I wasn't looking?" he asked idly, never taking his eyes off the safehouse door. " It was funny, y'see I forgot 'bout him for a while, and he got partially frozen all over-" he shut his mouth when Coach and Rochelle looked at him. " Just trying to lighten the mood..." he said in a low voice.

" Ellis, sweetie, it's really not the time." Rochelle said, brushing some hair out of her eyes. " Nick's still sleeping. Let him rest." Ellis sighed, realizing that neither of the two got what he wanted to do. With Nick still unconscious and healing, the mood was becoming somber, the looks on both Rochelle's and Coach's faces suggesting that they were both thinking of their own mortality. Now, even Ellis thought about it sometimes.

On the hotel roof, he had been so sure of his own immortality, that some blood-drooling idiots weren't going to get the better of them, that they would all be safe. He had believed that as long as they were together, no amount of infected were going to get the better of them. But after so many near misses... he still told the stories and jokes, but they were more to liven the mood now. He was trying to cheer them up, to make them smile when it was too hard to do so.

It was hard sometimes, working with what he's got. He always had plenty of stories to tell, there was no shortage of stuff that he and Keith did together, but more times than not, it wasn't the right time to tell it. Sighing, he pulled aside Nick's jacket again to check the status of his wound.

" You can keep checking all day, Ellis, it ain't gonna heal that fast." Nick said softly, opening his eyes to look at Ellis. " I don't have super-healing. Wish I did, though."

Ellis gave him a smile. " Yeah, but your wound reminds me of the time Keith tried to build a bumper car-" instinctively, he shut up while bracing himself for the oncoming comments from the rest of the team.

Amazingly, no one interrupted him. Instead, Nick merely yawned and stretched his arms, Coach and Rochelle giving Ellis their attention. Not used to having a story being told without interruptions, Ellis fell silent, picking at his weapon. Before too long though, he was finishing his tale, Coach chuckling at the story.

His joy was short lived when the horde started to swarm the door, his chrome shotgun helping to make short work of the infected clawing at the bars. From experience, while inside a safe room, common infected couldn't get inside if the door was closed. Not that he was willing to test to see how long their safe room would be safe with the horde pounding on it. Once that little horde was mopped up, Coach lowered his weapon and looked at Nick. " How you holding up, Nick?" he asked, Ellis understanding the need to hurry. No one had any idea if there was still any chance of being rescued at the bridge, and waiting for several days wasn't a good thing.

Again, Nick's health was the deciding factor. Each of them bore all their own cuts and bruises, but the gash on Nick's side could seriously impair him in a fight, spelling doom for the conman. It didn't have to be perfect, but at the very least, they had to be sure that the wound was healed enough to keep going. Once they reached rescue, it would all be okay, and they would have more time to heal, recuperate, and try to build back some of the destroyed part of their lives.

Ellis didn't quite know where to go from here... everyone he knew was either gone for good, of already rescued. During the time he spent with Rochelle, Coach, and Nick, he had learned many things. His limits were definitely one of them, but he also learned that those limits meant nothing if one of the others were in danger. Ellis knew that the others wouldn't really admit it, but the time they had all spent together, they had become a small family. Even Nick, arguably the most pessimistic of the group, wouldn't leave any of the group behind for any reason. Another thing he learned was that his mechanic skills were a big help. If anything, he had the biggest chance out of all of them to bounce back the quickest.

Rubbing his leg, Ellis sat against the door, sighing. " Hey, Ro'? Once we get rescued, what we gonna do?" he looked over at the rest of his group. " I mean, how we gonna get over this...?" His face broke into a grin, not wanting to let his fears show on his face. Another thing that he learned on this journey...fear. That lone, cold, and somewhat alien feeling had now been firmly instilled in his body. The feeling had a way of coursing through his very being, taking over his thoughts and turning them dark. The fear of a Tank assaulting them when they were almost down... the fear of a Witch in some immovable location...the fear of the special infected themselves.  
Over the course of their long road to safety, that fear had made the whole group cautious and wary, and sometimes even aggravated at each other. It had happened a few times, but Ellis himself was only the victim of one such incident. When they were running through the carnival, Nick's attitude had taken a seriously negative turn... almost to the point where even Ellis was feeling the sting of oncoming depression. Never one to not try to cheer up his friends, he instantly tried to lift Nick's falling spirits with a tale about when he and Keith last visited the park. To this day, he'll never know what Nick was thinking at that moment, but he knew what happened next.

Nick exploded at him, the conman's temper boiling over and frothing wildly. He was so taken aback by the situation, he didn't even remember what Nick had said to him, stumbling back. Coach and Rochelle had instantly taken his side, both scolding Nick for his outburst, the conman giving them a dark look. Exhaustion was beginning to take it's toll on the whole group, and it had hit Nick with a heavy mallet. The conman was irritated and hungry, along with the rest of the group, but his usual less-than-sunny outlook on life had only served to make his mood worse. Ellis was just as upset and hungry, but at least he was trying to keep a positive view on the situation around them. As what was common when two opposite forces met, the inevitable happened.

Ellis slunk away from the stronger, deadlier force and couldn't be cheered up by the combined efforts of Rochelle and Coach. It remained that way for a long time, until just before they started the concert at the end of the carnival. Surprisingly, Nick had approached him in the safe house, giving him a sort of apology. Albeit not a great apology, but still one nonetheless. But still, it was enough to lift his dampened spirit and he was right back to his old self. Nick was back to himself as well, giving them all strict warnings that he was not going to air guitar during their crazy concert performance. He was fairly sure that the midnight riders would be proud of the destruction they managed to cause at the performance, attracting the attention of a rescue helicopter.

* * *

Ellis stopped reminiscing when he heard Nick groan and shift on the makeshift bed they had him laying on. " Y' okay, Nick?" he asked, concern in his voice.

" I got torn up by a Witch, pummeled by a Charger, chased by a Tank, and was close to bleeding my innards out onto concrete in just a day. You tell me if I'm okay."

Ellis smiled. " Like Ro' once said, you're doing well if you're complainin'."

Nick merely grunted and rolled over onto his uninjured side. " I can be ready to go by tomorrow morning... I still need some sleep."

Ellis nodded, glad that some of Nick's personality had come back. " All right, you just rest on up. We'll handle the rest for now."

* * *

End Chapter 3


End file.
